Californiachronicle.com is reporting:

After months of local and regional competitions held at each of Guitar Center's 214 stores across the country, the top six undiscovered drummers in the nation have been selected from a field of nearly 5,000 competitors. The six finalists will go head to head on Saturday, January 10th, 2009 at Guitar Center´s Drum-Off Grand finals in Los Angeles for a prize package worth over $45,000, as they perform in front of a capacity crowd at the historic Music Box at Fonda Theater. Stephen Perkins (JANE'S ADDICTION) will host the evening. Guitar Center will also feature performances from drumming greats Nicko McBrain (IRON MAIDEN), Jason Bittner (SHADOWS FALL), an exclusive collaboration by Thomas Pridgen (MARS VOLTA) and Thomas Lang and a headlining performance by PAPA ROACH. Street Drum Corps Presents BANG! will perform their signature high-energy, street drumming sets outside the venue to kick off the night.

The six finalists are:

Juan Carlos Mendoza (E. Brunswick, NJ)

Jerome Flood III (Lawrenceville, GA)

Anthony Burns (Saginaw, MI)

Ramon Sampson (Memphis, TN)

Sherman Arnold (Englewood, CO)

Tim Newton (La Mesa, CA)

Last but not least Guitar Center will posthumously honor the legendary drumming icon Mitch Mitchell (JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE) along with living legends Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden) and Carmine Appice (VANILLA FUDGE, TED NUGENT, ROD STEWART) during the show, as they induct them into Guitar Center's Drum-Legends Hall of Fame. Started three years ago, Drum Legends was created to acknowledge the contributions of many of today's most legendary and iconic drummers. Guitar Center has dedicated a special section in their flagship San Francisco location to Drum Legends, featuring past inductees including Steve Smith, David Garibaldi, Alan White, Greg Errico and others.

Watch behind-the-scenes video footage below: